SCO Summit: Ishaq Dar Calls for Global Cooperation to Secure US-Iran Peace

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has urged the international community to capitalize on the opportunity created by ongoing US-Iran talks to work toward a permanent resolution of the conflict, arguing that dialogue, diplomacy, and mutual respect remain the only sustainable path to lasting peace and security. He made the remarks addressing the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s Council of Foreign Ministers.

Dar referenced the April talks held in Islamabad and the subsequent signing of the Islamabad memorandum of understanding, describing that development as a historic breakthrough made possible by Pakistan’s close ties with both parties and its extensive diplomatic efforts with regional and global partners. That framing aligns with broader international recognition Pakistan has received for its mediating role, including a recent Foreign Affairs analysis crediting the country’s diplomatic engagement — centered on direct contacts through Field Marshal Asim Munir — with helping produce the earlier agreement.

He called on the international community to build on the opportunity created by the Islamabad MOU and the ongoing technical-level talks between the two sides, pressing for a permanent, peaceful, and lasting resolution to the conflict — language that keeps Pakistan positioned as an active advocate for continued diplomacy even though the memorandum itself has since collapsed amid mutual accusations of violations from both Washington and Tehran.

Dar also warned against elements seeking to undermine regional stability, saying such actors would look to exploit any opportunity to sabotage the peace process and reverse progress made so far — a caution that implicitly acknowledges how fragile any renewed diplomatic track remains, particularly given the conflict’s continued escalation across multiple fronts, including Iran’s rejection of a more recent ceasefire proposal delivered through Iraq’s prime minister.

Speaking to the SCO forum specifically, Dar emphasized that achieving peace, stability, and prosperity requires the international community to work collectively — a message consistent with the SCO’s broader stated mission as a multilateral body bringing together countries across Eurasia, including China, Russia, and Central Asian states, alongside Pakistan and India.

The SCO setting itself carries some significance, given the organization includes several countries with direct stakes in Gulf stability and energy security, including major oil importers who would be affected by continued disruption to the Strait of Hormuz. Raising the Iran conflict at this forum suggests Pakistan is working to broaden the base of international pressure for de-escalation beyond its own bilateral mediating efforts.

Whether this renewed diplomatic appeal generates any fresh momentum toward reviving stalled US-Iran talks remains uncertain, particularly given Iran’s recent rejection of the Iraq-mediated ceasefire proposal and the conflict’s continued intensification across Gulf shipping lanes, Iranian territory, and US bases in the region. The practical test will be whether any SCO member states, or other international actors, translate Dar’s appeal into concrete diplomatic action in the coming weeks.